We looked at the first week of the Sādhanā here.
On day 8, I spoke about how the lockdown has an unexpected benefit – at least an hour saved in travel time. We can choose to waste this hour – or use it to learn something new, and exercise. Learning should not be confined to mere books or courses –
discovering life happens when you move away from a book, and learn something new through experience.
Competition is an ugly word. Instilled into us from childhood, competition has only resulted in distancing and discrimination. We discussed Sridhar Vembu’s thoughts on the annual Forbes Networth list, and found that
even success doesn’t guarantee an honourable exit – you are still part of the pecking order, only that the stakes (and the order) are seemingly higher.
I also shared an interesting snippet from Kangana Ranaut, which can be summed up by pondering over:
Along with living life kingsize, we should also learn to be worthy of what we want..
On day 10, I spoke about productivity. What is this seemingly work-related topic doing in a sādhanā, you may ask. Well, work is sādhanā – it is a discipline in itself, isn’t it? Karma yoga is a way to mokṣa, or liberation. Hence, being productive (and not busy) helps you move towards your goals, and reduces the stress that usually accompanies it.
Productivity has nothing to do with how much you do, and everything to do with how much you accomplish.
A big topic, one that will resonate throughout my blog, is mindfulness. As with yoga, we only notice it when it is taken up by the West, but mindfulness has been part of our tradition for thousands of years. We spoke about mindful eating, and here is how to do it.
Drink your food, and chew your water…
Gratitude is such an underrated emotion. We tend to recollect our bad times, when we should be counting our blessings. on Day 12, we tried a small exercise in gratitude, and the point of that exercise was to
consciously notice the good things that matter to you, and amplify them, so that the bad experiences are let go.
On day 13, I introduced two concepts to you – Swara Yoga and Mantra Yoga. We tried a few exercises in observing our breath, alternate nostril breathing, and Aum chanting.
My intention here is to lay a foundation, that is not shallow, but deep-rooted in understanding the basis of these ancient practices.
On day 14, a seemingly simple question put a lot of things into perspective. Our quest for social acceptance has a high price – that makes us spend our hard-earned money and spend more than we need to, getting bogged-down by EMIs that just add up and make us work harder and stress more.
Awareness is important – how we think tends to affect how we act, and how we act tends to become a habit, which then becomes part of our character – and finally our destiny.
Life is best savoured one bite at a time. There are 7 bites above for you to relish. I will be back later today, for the concluding session:)
Pingback: 21-day Sādhanā challenge – Day 21 – the beginning – Shihan Rohit Ghai